Bennington College

Academic Programs

The Programs of study that students design with their advisors are conceived more in the shape of an hour glass (starting broad, then focusing, then broadening out again) than in the traditional pyramid structure with its progressive narrowing of focus. During their first year, students explore a wide range of possibilities, investigating the diverse forms of intellectual and imaginative life. In their second and third years, they increasingly immerse themselves in particular subjects, whether in the form of a craft, a discipline, or a question. In their final year, students are also encouraged, once again, to explore new, emerging interests.

Faculty members regularly evaluate student performances through written reports that assess academic strengths and weakness, identify areas needing further work, as well as analyze overall progress. Bennington also sponsors the July Program, an intensive precollege experience for high school students that offers more than forty liberal arts courses. College credit is available.